Training 2014 - Week 21

I haven't done a specific training post in three weeks since I had been doing daily D.Tox posts and detailing my workouts there.  Now, that D.Tox is over, I'm back to my weekly training posts.

This week I worked out with Sarah on Monday morning and Wednesday afternoon.  Monday was upper body and Wednesday was legs.

I don't know what is going on, but lately my workouts have been kicking my butt.  Even though I'm not detoxing anymore, I feel like I'm a newbie or something.  Maybe Sarah is just really challenging me.  Either way, I'm exhausted in a good way.

I am beyond excited that the Icarian squat machine is fixed.  I missed it so much.  Gotta build that booty.  I hope they find out who broke it and they are banished for life.  Wait a minute, it was arm day.  Why were we doing squats?  Oh well, I do love squatting so who cares.

The biggest nightmare of the workout was the Prowler that I pushed at the end of the workout.  The weight added to the Prowler was 180 pounds, so including the Prowler it was around 255 pounds.  I finished the four laps Sarah wanted me to do, but I really hated pushing it by the lower handle.  I had a better time using the upright poles, so I did that for the last 2 laps.

Wednesday began with squat thrusters and walking lunges.  HATE those!  I do like the squat thrusters, but walking lunges are awful.  I think I did really good with them this week.  I've been taking my joint supplement, so the knees are holding up well.  We did a new TRX exercise today which took some getting used to because I felt a little awkward, but it was all good.  This workout actually few by.  Maybe it's because we were constantly chatting.  It felt like we hadn't seen in other in forever, but it was only two days.  I was just full of news and gossip.

A great accomplishment is that I set a new deadlifting PR:  85 pounds!  I'm actually deadlifting heavier than Sarah, but to her defense she has some shoulder issue or something.   I like deadlifting a lot.  I've really gotten good as isolating my abs because that's where I feel a bulk of the work.  I feel absolutely no pressure on my low back, which if you look at someone deadlift you might think that there would be some major back pain involved.  Proper form, people!

So, that was week 21.  Next week I am working out Sunday morning and Wednesday afternoon/evening.

D.Tox Summary

Throw the mic down and leave the stage!  I survived D.Tox!!!!

It is over.  I lost 8.6 pounds in 14 days.  I guess you could say I lost all the weight in Week 1, but Week 2 was where I saw the change in my body.  I yo-yo'd weight-wise, but my clothes fit looser, I looked less bloated, my muscles looked more defined even in my low abs.  My low abs had never made an appearance until D.Tox and I'll take that over a loss on the scale any day.

This was my second time doing D.Tox and the differences were night and day.  My first D.Tox in June 2013 was amazing.  I felt like a million bucks and I didn't want D.Tox to end.  I actually did a 15th day of D.Tox because I had enough ingredients left over from my D.Tox kit.  This time around it was tough.  I had heard of people reacting negatively during the first few days of D.Tox and this was my turn to feel the torture.  

My first few days of D.Tox 2014 were full of headaches, nausea, gassiness, and exhaustion.  I didn't give up though because I knew it would go away and I was making good progress on the scale.  The diet was blah.  I tried cooking recipes, but my taste buds were off and nothing was remotely delicious.  I also found that the D.tox shakes kept me surprisingly filled.  That helped quite a bit.  I hardly ever felt hungry.  That is always a fear with trying something new, but that is one common sensation I had during both of my D.Tox experiences.

I maintained a four to five day exercising schedule.  I never felt my blood sugar drop, which was something I feared.  I sweat significantly more during my workouts during D.Tox.  I found myself waking up more sore in the mornings than I did during my non-D.Tox time.

I struggled with D.Tox during the second week.  I think a lot of that had to do with a significant change in my work schedule.  I was involved in a jury trial that left me physically and mentally exhausted.  I would come home, go to the gym, and go to sleep.  There wasn't much time to cook.  I would definitely suggest trying to check your schedule before you begin D.Tox.  That being said, I love my job and I think I did well with the time and resources I had.  I made the proper adjustments to my D.Tox diet that worked best with my situation.

Do I regret doing D.tox?  No.  Is it all fun and easy?  Not every day.  Will I do it again?  Probably/Yes, but not anytime soon.

Tips:

If you are going to eat out, I suggest opting for a Middle Eastern restaurant.  Most if not all of the menu is healthy.  On the days I did eat out, I ate Middle Eastern and ordered Fatoosh salad with grilled chicken, stuffed grape leaves, mujadra, or hummus.  I didn't go too crazy with the hummus because I could eat my weight in hummus.  I just ate a spoonful when dining with friends.

Surround yourself with positive influences.  I had dinner at my friend Jackie's house who is a clean eater, health nut, nutrition coach.  I talked to her about my general weight struggles.  I can talk to her about anything.  My work family was supportive and inquisitive about my D.Tox and that was helpful.

Stay active.  You may be too tired to exercise the second or third day, but keep plugging along.  Take it down a notch at least for the first week.

Don't give up even if you slip a little bit.  I had a cheat meal on Day 13.  I didn't regret it.  It was just a meal.

Adios, D.Tox 2014.  See you later this year or next year.

D.Tox - Day 14

DAY 14....FINALLY!!!!! 

I thought this day would never come.  I am beyond happy.

I started my day by going to Trader Joe's and loading up on things I couldn't eat for the last two weeks.  I have so many meals planned.  Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not going to go crazy, I'm just re-introducing the things I missed.  I will still watch my carb and sugar intake.  I can't wait to have a spoonful of sherbet.

I got my hair done this morning.  My hair grows like a weed, but my hair is super short and looks like crap if I wait too long in between cuts.  It definitely felt like a treat.

I came home and cooked myself a NY strip steak for lunch.  It was a little too well done for my taste, but it was still good and I ate the whole thing.  

I pretty much bummed around all afternoon basking in the holiday weekend laziness.

At 4, I went to the LifeSpa and got a 90 minute massage.  I can't think of a better way to end D.Tox.  It was so nice. My left leg was giving me some issues with numbness.  This is a residual issue due to nerve damage I suffered 15 years ago when I herniated some discs in my back.  Massage really helps the issue.  It really wasn't much of an issue until I started working out last year.  Before that it was just an occasional occurrence. 

I went to the Life Cafe and got one of the D.Tox smoothies.  Even they can't make the D.Tox smoothies taste great.  Sadness.

I came home and I was fiending for either sushi or pizza, both no-nos on D.Tox.  Luckily a wave of exhaustion hit me and I took a nap and woke up at 9:30.  

I woke up and watched TV until 11 and I went to bed.  One hour left to go.  I couldn't wait to fall asleep and wake up the next morning and eat an omelet.  Seriously, I am so strategic about what I'm eating Day 1 Post-D.Tox.

Well, that's it.  I'll do a D.Tox summary post to wrap up all of my feelings and experiences.

D.Tox - Day 13

Total D. Tox Weight Loss:  9 pounds

Day 13.  Unlucky 13.  Meh.

forget shoes, this is how I talk to a plate of chicken wings.

Yeah, I couldn't take it anymore.  I know I only had about 32 hours left, but I needed FOOD!!  It was the beginning of a long holiday weekend (the unofficial start of summer), I had a long work week, I needed a reward.  I still had my afternoon shake left to consume, but I said Fuck It, I want chicken wings.  

Judge me all you want.  I don't give a damn.  I didn't regret those wings for one millisecond.  I'm sure anyone walking past my apartment thought I was having sex because I was moaning and wailing while I was eating these wings.  They were phenomenal.  

I took today as a rest day.  I usually take Fridays as a rest day.  Pilates, Weight Training, Pilates is a trifecta of pain.  I need a day off after three days of that.

I spent my Friday evening watching TV, relaxing, and sucking wing sauce out from under my finger nails.

ONE. DAY. LEFT!!!!

D.Tox - Day 12

Yeah, I forgot what I weighed in this morning, but I'm yo-yoing at this point.  I'm not too freaked out because I can see and feel my body changing.  My pants are fitting looser and I'm cinching my belt to the fifth hole.  I look badass.

I got out of work early and decided to treat myself to some Middle Eastern food.  I ordered a fatoosh salad with chicken to eat in the restaurant and I ordered some vegetarian grape leaves to go for dinner.

I took a much needed nap when I got home, but I snoozed through the episode of Maury I was watching.  I'm pissed because I really wanted to see if this guy was the daddy.  Oh well, I'm sure I'll catch it on reruns.

My shoulders were crazy sore from the day before.  I knew those kettle bell swings were trouble.

Tonight I had my jumpboard Pilates class.  I live for Thursday Pilates.  Heather subbed for Cassie again and it was a hell of a class.  My quads were burning something awful.  I worked through it though since it's all in my head and I can push through it if I turn my brain off.  I left a on of sweat on the reformer when class was over.  It was gross.  There was so much sweat, it was running.  (Yes, I sanitized and cleaned my reformer after.)

TWO.MORE.DAYS!!!!

D.Tox - Day 11

D. Tox Day 10 Weight Loss:  + 1.8 pounds
D.Tox Total Weight Loss:    8.6 pounds

HOW THE F*** DID I GAIN ALMOST TWO POUNDS ?!?!?!?!

My guess is that my weight the previous morning was wonky.  It's not like I did anything wrong.  Whatever.  I live to fight another day.

Wednesday was another crazy busy work day.  As much as I wanted to go home and go to sleep, I had an evening appointment with Sarah for a training session.  As usual, she beat the living crap out of me and I was beat.  But I'm getting my money's worth, right?  We did some of my favorites: squats and rows; and some of my least favorite: kettle bell swings.  I'm not sure if it was a the D.tox or the long work days or both, but I was exhausted.  

For lunch I had some sliced cucumbers with sea salt and my shake.  I'm not quite sure what I had for dinner.  

THREE. MORE. DAYS

D.Tox - Day 10

D. Tox Day 9 Weight Loss:   1.8 pounds
D.Tox Total Weight Loss:    10.4 pounds

Yeah. I'm just putting this Dolvett Quince gif here because he's hot and I need some motivation.

This is also the same face I make when I think about sugar.

Tuesday.  Day 10.  Finally in double digit days!  

Since I am in the middle of a jury trial at work, I am having my second shake for lunch along with either some fruit or a veggie.  Today I had my shake and an apple and almond butter.  I'm totally on an almond butter kick.  Now I know why Sarah goes bananas over the Trader Joe's Almond Butter.  It's crazy good.   For dinner I had some of the turkey breast and zucchini I made on Sunday.  I just ate half of what I heated up.  I'm just bored with eating and to be quite honest the shakes are quite filling.  Especially with the things that I add to them like chia seeds.  

Tonight was Pilates night.  It was the first time the Three Amigos (me, Linda, and Maureen) were together in what feels like forever.  I have to say I totally kicked ass in Pilates tonight.  Cassie introduced  a new exercise which I couldn't exactly do, but it was the first time we've done it and when I do learn to do it I will be quite popular with the fellas.  The move pretty much requires you to lie on your back, lift your butt, and bend in half.  

I came home from Pilates, showered, and laid on the couch.  I'm so pooped.  I'm sleeping like a baby, but getting tired in the morning.  Luckily my lunch shake wakes me up and gets me through the afternoon.

Four. More. Days

D.Tox - Day 9

D. Tox Day 8 Weight Loss:  0.2 pounds
D.Tox Total Weight Loss:    8.6 pounds

My love/hate relationship with D.tox continues.  Only 5 more days.  5 MORE DAYS!!!!!!!

I am working on a jury trial this week which means long days and short lunches so I have to bring my lunch.  It's really difficult when I'm on this restricted diet.  But my plan is to bring my lunch, aka the paleo pizza.  It's funny how just sitting and thinking is so exhausting.  I'm sure being on D.tox doesn't help.  

I had a nectarine during on of our morning breaks.  For lunch I had a piece of piece and an apple.

In terms of exercise, I took today as a rest day because I have two Pilates classes and a training session in the next three days.  I've been waking up really sore since I've been on D.tox, but it wears off after I get moving.  Definitely less is more.  

Five days and counting........

D.Tox - Day 8

D. Tox Day 7 Weight Loss:  0.0 pounds
D.Tox Total Weight Loss:    8.4 pounds

Day 8.  The beginning of week two.  I'd be lying if I didn't tell you I can't wait for D.Tox to be over.  Not because I plan on eating like a paroled prisoner on his first day on the outside, I just want to eat a less restrictive diet.  I'm fiending for sugar hard core.  I feel like a heroin addict detoxing.  Unfortunately there's no sugar Methdone for me to use.  I want to have eggs.  I want my gluten free chocolate chip cookies.  Basically, that's it.  I can continue on with this way of eating but I want eggs and cookies.  Oh, and I want sushi with soy sauce.  And cheese.  I hate cheese but yesterday at Trader Joe's, String Cheese was the sexiest thing I had ever seen (at least since D.Tox started).

Today I went to Panera for lunch.  I ordered the you-pick-two.  I selected the creamy tomato soup (minus croutons) and the Greek salad.  These items are gluten free and often a regular lunch/dinner option when I do eat at Panera.  

For dinner I made some Turkey Breast Tenderloins and some zucchini.  It was good enough, but I'm really suffering from bland eating.  I suffered from this problem last year, but it seems like everything is worse this time around.  

I made a paleo pizza to take to work for lunch.  We have a jury trial this week and so my lunch time will be short and limited.  The pizza was palatable and I used some of my favorite toppings:  spinach, red onion, and mushrooms.

For exercise today, I worked out with Sarah.  I was sweating like a pig.  It was also back to our regular workouts after having a recovery week last week.  That meant heavy lifting and leaving the gym exhausted and ready for a shower and nap.  

I am so excited that this was my second and last Sunday of D.Tox.  I will continue to do the D.tox and stick to the plan.  It's hard but worth it.  I'll have a great sense of accomplishment once it's over because I stuck with it even though it was harder this time than last time.

D.Tox - Day 7

D. Tox Day 6 Weight Loss:  0.2 pounds
D.Tox Total Weight Loss:    8.4 pounds.

Today closed out Week 1 of D.tox.  Part of what is encouraged is to sit in the sauna a few times a week to get rid of the toxins.  Instead of that I decided to take a Hot Vinyasa class.  The class is normally taught by Rickita, but she got a sub named Luis.  WHAT AN AWFUL CLASS!!!  He was way different than any instructor I ever took and not in a good way.  People walked out.  It was a Cluster F***.  Instead of being all zen, I was confused and frustrated.  And I'm not a newbie.  I've taken yoga classes at LTF since August.  I was like this .......

I did sweat buckets but I NEVER want to take a class by this guy ever again.

For food today, I just didn't feel like cooking.  I went to a local Middle Eastern restaurant called Sheesh and ordered a fatoosh salad with grilled chicken.  The salad I had for lunch the day before really got me in the mood for fatoosh and it is healthy.  The order was so huge, I had it for both lunch and breakfast.

Also this afternoon I went to Kohl's and bought some clothes.....normal sized clothes!  This is a huge accomplishment because I've been a plus-sized store shopper for the almost 15 years.  And I'm stepping outside of the box by getting patterns and not just solid colored clothes.  It was definitely exciting.

In terms of how I am feeling as I end this first week, I am doing significantly better than I was at the beginning of the week.  That being said, I cant' wait until D.Tox is over.  This has been a brutal experience this time around compared to last year.

D.Tox - Day 6

D.Tox Day 5 Weight Loss:  1.2 pounds
D.Tox Total Weight Loss:     8.2 pounds

Just cruising along

Things continue to get better on D.tox.  Sleeping like a baby, exercising, eating, hydrating, sweating.

For the first time during this D.tox, I ate food made by others.  For lunch I split a fatoosh salad with grill chicken with my court officer at work.  My work family decided to order out since it was Friday.  We all love Mediterranean food and it is relative healthy.  I could have eaten the entire salad, it was so yummy.  I did eat the tiny pieces of pita that were in the salad but I was careful to serve myself the least amount as possible.  I had a spoonful of hummus just for taste.  I was good and gave the pita bread that came with my salad to my court officer even though it killed me to do so.  I love pita bread.  

I have to tell you that I had a little boo boo with my afternoon shake.  All week I've been leaving work before it is time for my afternoon shake, so I've left my Monday afternoon shake in the refrigerator in my chambers.  I worked a full day today and went to have that shake for my pm shake and it was awful.  I think the coconut milk went bad or something.  I'm not sure why since the fridge seems to keep food very well.  Weird.  So I thought I would pass it on that the shakes might not have as long of a shelf life.  (I make mine in batches of 3 at a time).

For dinner I went to visit my friend Jackie.  Jackie has lost over 125 pounds and I plan on having her guest post on my blog in the near future.  I knew eating dinner with her would be healthy and within my D.Tox limitations.  I strongly suggest surrounding yourself with positive influences during D.Tox.  There are a lot of haters out there who don't understand the process or think it is too restrictive.  Stay away from those people if possible.

So for dinner I had some mujadra (again a Mediterranean dish), ginger soup, and grilled veggies.  The ginger soup was something Jackie got from The Wooden Spoon, a restaurant/market in Brighton that caters to using local ingredients and it's pretty healthy too.  Lunch is reasonably priced, dinner can be a little pricey.

In terms of exercise, I took today as a rest day.  I did go shopping with Jackie so I did quite a few steps in.  

Overall, things are definitely on an upswing.  

D.Tox - Day 5

D.Tox Day 4 Weight Loss:  1.8 pounds
D.Tox Total Weight Loss:   7.0 pounds

I feel like celebrating!!!

Today was not only Day 5 of D.Tox, but marked the one year anniversary of my working with Sarah.   If you want to see my before and "after" picture, check out this thread.

My exercises today consisted of training with Sarah in the morning and Jumpboard Pilates in the evening.   My workout with Sarah was pretty tough even though it was recovery week.  I'm sure it had something to do with me being on D.tox and also the fact that our recovery weeks are not exactly easy peasy.  

Jumpboard was pretty tough on me, too.  Heather subbed for Cassie, who was having her rehearsal dinner.  My quads killed.  We started the class with 20 minutes of mat (ugh) and then did the rest with the jumpboard.  I left my reformer a sweaty mess.  I definitely D.tox'd on the reformer.

Food wise today was a recipe disaster.  I tried to make these BLT sandwiches for lunch and that was an epic fail.  It was bacon, lettuce and tomato with portabello mushrooms to act as bread.  Awful.  It was messy and not that good.  I ended up just eating the bacon.  Also, my apartment smelled like bacon.  Barf.  I think I now hate bacon.  

I went to Trader Joe's in the morning to buy more food, but I didn't feel like cooking.  I had my second shake pretty late like 5.  Pilates was at 6, so I just noshed on veggies after class and I was satisfied.

That's one thing I've got to say about D.Tox.  It keeps me full.

I keep rolling along.  Nine more days to go.

One Year Anniversary

                                                     May 23, 2013                                    May 15, 2014

Today marks the one year anniversary since my first workout with Sarah.  Wow, an entire year.  We sure have been through a lot.  We started as trainer-client and I would definitely say that we are friends, too.  I have to text Sarah every day for something even just to check in.  

I remember that first workout and how I was unable to finish it because my blood sugar was going wonky.  I felt like such an asshole.  Sarah must have thought I was a mess.

But I've kept plugging away and made some huge strides.  I lost 50 pounds and then gained a little back and settled into a plateau, but maintaining my general body fat percentage more or less.   I am currently doing D.tox in an effort to get more control of my diet, press the restart button, and move forward with progress.  All the while maintaining a positive outlook about 90 percent of that time.

One year ago today, my knees ached, my blood pressure and blood glucose were under control.  Now, my knee pain is maintained, my blood pressure and blood glucose are lower and within normal levels.  My doctor is thrilled with my progress and hopes to get me off my meds soon.

I've tried my hands at Pilates, yoga, spinning, and running.  I love Pilates and have now increased to two classes a week.  I try to do yoga at least once a week.  I've taken a break from spinning because of an adrenal fatigue issue I had.  I don't run because I just don't like it.  I prefer to just do the first week of Couch to 5k over and over than distance training.  I prefer sprints.  

The weight is coming off slow and that's cool.  I'm learning how to take the every day challenges that come with working hard to achieve what you want.  I can splurge and that's fine.  I can plateau and not let it get the best of me.  I can learn what my body likes and dislikes.  My body hates carbs big time.

I've been off pop and fast food since early June 2013!  I've never been off pop this long ever!!  I've even stopped biting my fingernails.

I've even gotten comfortable showing my pictures.  That is huge for me because I haven't had Sarah show me any of the progress pictures we've taken throughout the year.  I think I'm really turning a corner.

I'm really excited to see where I'll be a year from now.  I'm reflecting on the last year today, but tomorrow starts the work on Year 2.

D.Tox - Day 4

D.Tox Day 3 Weight Loss:  0.6 pounds
D.Tox Total Weight Loss:   5.2 pounds

Day 4: I feel pretty fabulous.

I woke up on Day 4 having gotten an amazing night of sleep.  It was one of those rare nights of sleep where you feel like you slept like the dead.  I know that I was dreaming, but I can't remember exactly what they were about.  INCREDIBLE SLEEP!!!  I woke up energized and not feeling like a giant bag of crap.  

My body was super sore from Pilates last night.  I'm not sure if that has anything to do with being on D.tox or just the tough mat workout we did last night.  

I ate the same things for lunch and dinner that I did the last few days, but I am officially out of turkey burger patties.  I have Thursday off of work so I plan on going to Trader Joe's and restocking my fridge. 

Tonight I did class #2 of Pilates.  I usually only do Pilates twice a week, but with Cassie getting married and going on her honeymoon I have a class to make up.  I did much better than last night.  Of course, I was still a little gassy, so I had to pause and clench a couple times but it was much better.  We did some reformer, mat, and tower work.  It was a kickass work out.

So, I think I'm on the upswing of D.Tox.  Only 10 more days to go.

D.Tox - Day 3

D.Tox Day 2 Weight Loss:  2.4 pounds
D.Tox Total Weight Loss:   4.6 pounds

I feel human again!!!

As Day 2 ended the dreaded D.tox gassines started.   I spent most of Day 3 being a human Whoopee Cushion.

I woke up feeling better than Day 2.  I went to bed a little earlier, but not by much.  I lost another 2.4 pounds!  Yay!!!  The headache that tormented me for two days was gone.  The esophageal burning that I suffered yesterday was gone.  The only thing that remained was the mild nausea.

I felt head and shoulders better than yesterday.  I'm still not singing Zippity-Doo-Dah, but I don't feel like I'm on the throes of death either.

I had my shake for breakfast.  My mid-morning snack was baby carrots.  I had a Turkey burger patty for lunch again along with the last of my carrots and a Granny Smith apple.  I had my second shake in the afternoon.  For dinner I had a bowl of the soup I made last night.

Tonight I had a Pilates class.  Of course with all of the roll ups, twisting, and mat work, it was the perfect time for the gassiness to peak.  I had to not do some of the moves because I knew all hell would break lose if I put myself in those positions.  And of course, I am taking three Pilates classes this week so this is going to be epic.  

Here's to hoping for a better Day 4.

D.Tox - Day 2

D.Tox Day 1 Weight Loss: 2.2 pounds

Day 2, I want to die!!!!  And I feel like I am dying.  

I woke up extremely tired even though I slept well.   The hot flashes came in the evening of Day 1.  I woke up in the middle of the night and turned on my fan because I had the bed sweats.  I got out of bed, but I could have easily fallen back to sleep.  My mild headache from yesterday was still there and stronger.

My reactions to D.tox this time are COMPLETELY different than last time.  Last time, I was full of energy.  I had never felt better in my life.  This time around (so far), I feel like I am working double shifts at a manual labor job, have a colicky newborn, and am going through menopause all at the same time.  I am living my worst nightmare.  Oh, and I am so forgetful lately.

I know it will get better in a few days.  I can't wait for that day to arrive.

I'm glad I woke up relatively early because I spent a quarter of my morning prep time on the toilet.  The good news so far is that I lost 2.2 pounds in Day One.

Food wise, I ate a Turkey burger for lunch.  I attempted to eat the same dinner I had yesterday, but I just couldn't stomach it.  It was good enough for one night, not two.  So I decided to make a beef soup that is a family favorite.

I had an apple as a mid morning snack.  My hunger is so-so.  I experienced some slight hunger around 8 a.m., but I drank a glass of water and I was good.   I noshed on some carrots while my soup was cooking.

I only worked a half day and I was thankful.  I had some mild nausea in the morning.   I also had some bizarro esophageal burning on my drive to work after I had my morning shake.  Weird.  Just weird.  I came home, did some work, and took a 40 minute power nap.  I woke up and felt worlds better.  Maybe I've turned the corner?  Oh, and I've been so forgetful lately.

Workout wise, I took a rest day today.  I have three straight days of Pilates coming up and a training session with Sarah on Thursday morning.

As I prepare to post this, I feel amazing.  I feel like I've been brought back from the dead.  But I've been so forgetful lately.

D.Tox - Day 1

If you're new to this blog at the suggestion of someone recommending the Lifetime D.tox, here is an introduction to me and how I got started.  I also did one blog entry on my first go around with D.tox here.

I'm starting D.tox again today.  The last time I D.tox'd was in June of 2013 and I lost 8 pounds.  I am doing D.tox again because it's a good idea and I am in a plateau.  I need to get the scale moving down again (not that the scale is the only thing that matters).

I plan on doing day-to-day blogging of the D.tox to give people thinking about doing the Lifetime Fitness D.tox a better idea of what it is and what happens.  Now, these are only how it affects my body and everyone will react to it a little differently.

I made my shakes for Day 1 a day in advance.  The Vegan Fast Fuel is awful.  There's no way around it.  I find that adding a scoop of Chocolate Dynamic Greens makes a world of difference.  I didn't do it last year and getting the shakes down was rough.  It was a little easier with the DGs.

Here is how I make my D.tox shakes:  2 scoops of Fast Fuel, 1 scoop of Fibermend, 1 Tbl. of chia seeds, 1 Tbl of EVOO, some strawberries and blueberries, 1 scoop of Dynamic Greens, 1 scoop of L-Glutamine, ice, and 12 oz. of Unsweetened Coconut Milk.

After my shake and the supplements, I immediately had to go to the bathroom.  TMI, but you should be prepared for lots of pooping especially the first day.  I went more last year than this time around.  It's funny how the body works.

I ate an early lunch (like before 11) because I had a noon training session with Sarah.   Sarah and I have been working together for a few days shy of a year.  She's wonderful.  If you're interested in training sessions I strongly suggest working with her.

For lunch I had a salad and a turkey burger.  I ate some of the Spring Mix by Earthbound Farm Organic, which is available in most grocery stores.  I jazzed up my salad with some cucumbers, red onions, chia seeds, and baby bella mushrooms.  I used some EVOO and Organic Balsamic Vinegar as my salad dressing.

The turkey burger is a recipe I made last week and the recipe and my review of it are here.  The burger patty itself is D.Tox friendly.  The Taztziki sauce needed some modification to make it D.tox approved.  I substituted the regular Greek Yogurt for Goat Cheese yogurt.  I got it at Trader Joe's, but I'm sure you can find non-dairy yogurt wherever you shop.  Don't freak out about Goat Cheese.  I didn't find the taste to be any different.  The only difference is the Goat Cheese yogurt was a little runnier than regular Greek yogurt. Obviously, I ate it without the bun.  I had some tomato slices on the side.

Before I train with Sarah, I drink some Generation UCan.  I usually have the Cran-Raspberry flavor, but just last week LTF started carrying the Tropical Orange flavor.  Sarah bought me a sample and I drank it this morning.  I loved it.  When I am done with my current container of UCan, I'm going to switch to this flavor.  One weird thing is that it was white.  I was picturing it to be orange.  Color me surprised.

For dinner I had Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken Thighs  and Roasted Brussel Sprouts.  Both recipes are D.tox friendly in their original form.  I actually found the chicken recipe on this Pinterest D.Tox Board.

How did I feel on Day 1?  I felt pretty good.  I did have a mild headache for most of the day.  It would go away and come back, but it wasn't painful enough for me to have to take anything.  I found myself craving sugar in the afternoon.  I was also very thirsty.  My concentration was strong and I got a lot of work done at home.  I tried to take a nap, which I usually do on the weekends, but I couldn't fall asleep.  I didn't experience the hot flashes that I did the last year.

Workout.  As I said earlier, I had a training session with Sarah.  This week is our recovery week, which we do every 4 to 6 weeks.  I think I did all right.  I did find myself sweating while I was doing the lunges/shoulder press combo.  I'm not sure if the D.tox had anything to do with it, but I usually don't sweat that bad when I do lunges.

See you tomorrow for Day 2.

The Week Before D.Tox

This week was the week before I start D.Tox.  I worked out four days this week.  Two days of personal training and two days of Pilates.

My training days were Sunday and Wednesday.  You can read more about those days here.

I had my regular Pilates on Tuesday night and Jumpboard Pilates on Thursday.  My Tuesday night homies, Linda and Maureen, weren't there due to injuries.  Linda is covering from foot surgery and Maureen is having shoulder issues.  I miss them.  I saw Linda on Sunday in passing at LTF and she was walking slow and trying to see what she could do at the gym.  I haven't seen Maureen.  Tuesdays just aren't the same without them.

The Tuesday class kicked my butt.  It almost felt as though I had never ever done a Pilates class.  I was whipped by the time class was over.

Thursday was Jumpboard, my second official class since I added on the second night of Pilates.   I still do love jumpboard and I am getting quite the workout from it.  I don't doubt the pure genius of adding on this second class.  It was a brilliant move on my part.

My days off this week were Monday, Friday, and Saturday.  Saturday I cleaned my apartment like a maniac and that was a workout in itself.  

I am starting D.Tox on Sunday.  I am training with Sarah on Sunday and Thursday (our one year anniversary).  I have Pilates this week on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday!  I am making up the class that I would miss because of Cassie's upcoming honeymoon.

Have a great week, everyone and be sure to check out my D.Tox threads.

Training 2014 - Week 18

My training this week was Sunday morning and Wednesday evening.

It usually isn't a good thing when Sarah's first words to me are "You're going to be lifting heavy today."

I had another squatting PR...a total of 280 pounds.  Unfortunately someone broke the Icarian squat machine, so who knows when it'll be fixed and I can use it again.  I had another PR with shoulder presses.  I did 50 pounds!!!  I remember when just 3 sets of 8 pounds was a pain.

Wednesday's workout was in the evening/late afternoon.  I've got a new work schedule so I was definitely whipped after our session.  It probably also has something to do with Sarah beating the crap out of me.  I had some more PRs.  I benchpressed 75 pounds.  The last set was tough, but I did it.  I had another PR in the seated row or something.  I can't remember.  I was kind of brain dead.   The hour actually went by really quick.  Sarah added on some prowler work at the end.  Ugh, I hate the prowler.  And she made me do it FIVE TIMES!!!! FIVE TIMES!!!!

It was a very tough week.  Next week will be recovery week since I will be starting D.tox on Monday.  I will be working out with Sarah on Sunday and Thursday.  Thursday will mark my one year anniversary of returning to the gym and working out with Sarah.  YAY!!!!

Sweet Baby Jesus

I was craving a turkey burger.  I Googled "turkey burger".  I picked this recipe.   Goodness gracious, they were so yummy.  

It was seriously this good......

Lifetime Fitness 10k-A-Day Challenge - Spring 2014 Week 3

I started the week in the Bronx and ended in Brooklyn.  I swear I cannot do anything social on Saturday nights because the last two Saturdays I've fallen short of the 10k a day!  Oh, well, life goes on.  I'm still a winner.

Next week is the last week of this challenge.

This week's NYC video is by Mr. Beyonce himself, Jay Z.

100th Blog Post!!!!!

100 posts!  Wow, I totally thought I would have run out of things to post about by now.  Here I am five months after I started this blog and still typing away.

This thread is about my workouts this week.  I feel like I had a fat week.  I only went to Lifetime four times, which would be good for most people, but it bums me out.

I trained with Sarah on Sunday and Thursday.  The post about those works is here.

Tuesday I went to Pilates and it was super tough.  I almost had a private class because Linda and Maureen didn't come, but then someone popped in and that was the end of my private.

Saturday I went to my first yoga class at the yoga studio.  I absolutely loved it.  I blogged my review of the new studio here.

Monday at work I fell and hurt my ankle.  I'm not sure if I rolled it or what, but it caused me some pain all week.  I have a 5k on May 10, so we'll see how that goes and if I am able to run.

Well, that was my week.  I hope you had a great one!

My Review of the New Yoga Studio at LTF - Novi

Yeah, so I was a little late in taking a class at the studio.  I took my first class this morning.  I took Rickita's Ashtanga Vinyasa (aka my favorite class).  

LOVED IT!!!!!!!

What a difference an actual studio makes.  I also saw TONS of new faces so I'm not sure if they are new yogis from the Novi club or yogis from other LTFs.   Either way, it was great.  I think people are more open to chatting with their neighbors before and after class now, too.  One of the ladies across from me had just rejoined LTF after being gone for 10 years.  Aside from taking the occasional Groupon yoga class, this was her first time doing yoga in ten years.

Things are pretty exciting in Novi with this new studio!!!!

I just invested in a new yoga mat and yoga towel.  I was really sweating today, more sweat than usual.  I'm so glad LTF decided to build this studio.  I LOVE it.  I really had no idea what the difference would be, but the difference is huge and makes a world of difference.  

If you want to see more pictures and see the schedule, here is my original post.

Training 2014 - Week 17

This week my training sessions were on Sunday and Thursday.  It felt like forever in between sessions! 

Both days were full body days.   Sunday I did walking lunges with shoulder presses using the viper.  Hated that exercise.  I loath walking lunges, but sometimes we have to do the things we hate.  

Wednesday was another PR day.  I did 65 pound deadlifts and 35 pound bicep curls.  No lunges on Wednesday, but I did do step ups.  I dint hate them as much as lunges, but they still aren't a favorite. 

I did really well this week.  It was uneventful, but productive.

Next week, my training sessions all be Sunday morning and Wednesday evening.

Doctor's Appointment - Spring 2014

This morning I went to see my Physician's Assistant for our annual check up.  I last saw him in June of 2013.  I am officially 31 pounds down from that appointment.  My BP was 120/82 (not bad at all).

I was so proud of myself because he was proud of me and all the changes I have made.  He was really happy with all of my results.  My fasting glucose in October 2012 (7 months before I started working out/ eating right) was 131.  Now it is 85!!

He mentioned possibly needing surgery on loose skin, but I told him that Sarah and I were working really hard to avoid that and I am losing the weight at a safe rate.  He is excited to see where my progress is at our next appointment, which is on November 14.  Going to the doctor now isn't as awful as it used to be.